SEC Football Head Coach Evaluation: Auburn’s Gus Malzahn
Dec 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Tre Mason (12) celebrates with head coach Gus Malzahn after winning the 2013 SEC Championship at Georgia Dome. Auburn defeated the Missouri Tigers 59-42. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Love him or hate him, Gus Malzahn and his offense produce victories. Malzahn was the offensive coordinator for Auburn when they won a National Championship in 2010. He also won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach that year. The Tiger’s quarterback that year, Cam Newton, added to the trophy case by winning a Heisman Trophy (along with several other pieces of hardware).
Newton was not Malzahn’s first, nor last, Heisman finalist. His first was Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden while Gus Malzahn was at Arkansas. His most recent finalist was Tre Mason for the 2013 season.
He has also coached other national award winners and several All-Americans. Malzahn’s offense produces and attracts talent.
It also produces quickly. Gus Malzahn took over after one of Auburn’s worst seasons in recent memory. All Malzahn did was take a 3-9 (0-8) team and turn them into a 12-2 (7-1) SEC Champion and National Championship Runner-up in his first season as head coach.
He has the full support of his Athletics Director, Jay Jacobs: “Coach Malzahn was our choice because he is a proven winner who has been successful at every level. He is one of the brightest minds in college football and he knows what it takes to build a championship program at Auburn.”
That 2013 season saw Auburn lead the nation in rushing at 328.3 yards per game. This is even more impressive when you realize that wasthe first time an SEC team had ever done it. The 2013 team also set several school and SEC Championship Game records: 48 rushing TDs (school), 677 yards against an SEC opponent (school, in the SEC Championship game no less), 26 rushing first downs (SECCG), 74 rushing attempts (SECCG), 545 rushing yards (SECCG), and 7 rushing touchdowns (SECCG).
“Coach Malzahn was our choice because he is a proven winner who has been successful at every level. He is one of the brightest minds in college football and he knows what it takes to build a championship program at Auburn.” – Auburn AD Jay Jacobs
Malzahn is an offensive guru, especially when it comes to running the ball. He has produced 12 1,000 yard rushers in only nine seasons as either a head coach or coordinator. Every season he has been at the collegiate level, he has had at least one 1,000 yard rusher.
Gus Malzahn is 29-10 in three seasons as a head coach and has won the Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden, Eddie Robinson, Home Depot, Sporting News, SB Nation, Liberty Mutual and Associated Press National Coach of the Year awards. He also grabbed the 2013 SEC Coach of the Year Honors.
So is there any case to be made against him?
All Malzahn records and history taken from auburntigers.com unless otherwise noted.
Next: The Fuss about Gus